Clean under the valve covers?

As many know, my truck sat for about 6 months and has had less-than-regular oil changes whan I was younger. Now I'm chaning out the oil fairly ofetn to try an clean out the gunk. I stuck my finger inside the filler port of my valve cover to see the condition under the valve covers. Pretty gunked up. SHould I removed the valve covers and clean out underneath it or would I be wasting my time?

mine used to always turn the oil black in the first couple hundred miles, but i change the oil every 2500 miles now and i use valvoline since autozone no longer sells halvoline and my oil now stays clean all the way up to the oil change. in your case, i wouldnt know if that would help since the rest of your motor might be kinda gunked up. just change the oil regularly and hope that it goes away is what i would do. thats the thing about chevys, they may run like shit sometimes, but they'll still run forever

What you can see is not the issue, if it is sludged under the vc's then there is the same sludge under the intake and possibly in the oil pan, this engine sounds like it could need a complete going through. Once you start moving that stuff around it can wind up blocking the oil pump pick up.

What do you mean "going through"? Are you talking a complete engine rebuild or just removing components for a deep cleaning?

That depends what you would find after pulling the pan and intake, if it is really bad you are in for a rebuild as oil returns and passages could be restricted, or just a basic clean up may do.

That depends what you would find after pulling the pan and intake, if it is really bad you are in for a rebuild as oil returns and passages could be restricted, or just a basic clean up may do.


If I were to have to do a rebuild, what all does that entail?

If I do a general clean up, what does that entail?

Phil

A reman engine would be cheaper than a rebuild, many sources for that. Clean the pan, oil pump, under the intake, lifter valley, all the returns, the upper cyl heads, messy tough job in the truck.

If I were to have to do a rebuild, what all does that entail?

If I do a general clean up, what does that entail?

Phil

usually cleaning an engine like yours would be truely a waste of time since the lack of regular oil changes did more damage than goop up the crank case.....


when completed you will find that this engine will demand a quart of oil every 500mi and will lack power...


best to just change oil every 3,ooo mi until it dies...look for replacement vehicle as this vehicle begins to fade away...

Understood